Released by the Positive Justice Project (PJP) in July 2012, this is the first national consensus statement on HIV criminalization. This Positive Justice Project (PJP) statement, endorsed by hundreds of organizations and individuals affected by HIV across the country, points to the growing consensus on the need to end the use of special criminal laws and policies that target persons with HIV for consensual sex or otherwise "exposing" another person to HIV. The statement demands that laws and practices be modernized to reflect current science and knowledge about HIV, and the standards of proof and process normally afforded individuals facing charges of a criminal offense against another.
Originally published in July 2012, this document was updated in February 2017.The Center for HIV Law and Policy challenges barriers to the rights and health of people affected by HIV through legal advocacy, high-impact policy initiatives, and creation of cross-issue partnerships, networks, and resources. We support movement building that amplifies the power of individuals and communities to mobilize for change that is rooted in racial, gender, and economic justice.